Skate



NITED STATES E. CURTISJENKINS, JR., OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

SKATE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, E. CURTIS JENKINS, Jr., of Springfield, in thecounty of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Skates; and I do hereby declare that the same isfully described and represented in the following specification and theaccompanying drawings, of which- Figure l, represents a top View of myimproved skate. Fig. 2, is a side view, and Fig'. 3, a rear end view ofthe same. Fig. 4, is a longitudinal, central, and vertical section ofthe said skate. Fig. 5, is a vertical and transverse section, takenthrough the clamp plates, to be hereinafter described. Fig. 6, is a topview, and Fig. 7 a side view of one of the clamp plates as removed fromthe skate. Fig. 8, is an underside view of the runner of the skate.

My invention consists, rst, in the application and arrangement of theheel screw, by which I am enabled to screw the same into the heel of theboot, without turning the skate around and around as is generally done;secondly, in the construction or form of the underside of the runner,whereby I am enabled to present either a sharp edge to take hold of theice for thepurpose of propelling the body of the wearer forward, or asmooth wide surface to glide over the ice, with as little resistance aspossible; thirdly, in the arrangement and application of clamp platesmade so as to clasp the outer edges of the sole of a boot or shoe, andadjustable with respect to the foot rest of the skate, so as to bringthe foot of the wearer either to one side or the other of the center ofthe said foot rest as may be desirable, and also to prevent the slippingof the skate from side to side underneath the foot, as is the case wherestraps alone are used. The said clamps are also made adjustable so as tot any size or width of boot or shoe with which the skate may be used.

In the drawings above referred to A, denotes the wood or foot rest ofthe skate, and B, the runner it being applied to the :toot rest in anysuitable manner. The rear part of the foot rest is formed with a recessa., for the reception of the heel of a boot or shoe, and also with aheel guide or guard Z2, made of any suitable material, and properlysecured to the foot rest. In the heel part a, of the foot rest A, Isecure a ferrule or tube h, made of brass or other material, throughwhich the clamping heel screw o, passes and plays loosely therein, asseen in Fig. 4, and

extends a short distance above and below the foot rest, ,or a distanceequal to that which it may be desirable to screw it into the heel of aboot or shoe. The said screw c, at its lower end, is provided with amilled head d, or its equivalent, the same being for the purpose ofrotating the screw, and causing it to enter the heel of a boot or shoe.

It will be seen that on applying the skate to a boot or shoe, that theheel screw can be readily rotated by means of the head CZ, and thus theheel be brought tightly down to the foot rest, without turning the skatearound a number of times, as must be done where the heel screw is madefast to the foot rest, as in most skates.

In the forward part of the foot rest, I arrange two clamp plates D, D,so made as to overlap one another partially, and with their outer endsturned up, and extended a short distance above the foot rest, the saidouter ends being to clasp the outer edge of the sole of the boot orshoe, and keep it firmly in place, in connection with straps applied tothe skate in t'he ordinary manner. I also form the said clamp plateswhere they overlap each other with slots or recesses E, E, for thereception of a clamping or holding screw F, which is provided with ahead f, to cover the upper part of the clamp plate D, and whose shankextends through the slots E, E', and foot rest, and is screwed into anut g, beneath the foot rest, or the said screw may be provided with amilled head or its equivalent at its lower end, and at its upper endscrew into nut placed over the clamp plates. rlhe slots E, E, are madeof suiicient length to allow of lateral movement of the clamp plates,suiiiciently to fit any size of boot or shoe.

By loosening the screw F, the clamp plates can be adjusted to the footof the wearer, and by screwing it tightly down, said plates, and withthem the boot, will be held iirmly in place, it being understood thatthe foot rest is to be provided with straps in the ordinary manner tokeep the foot down upon the foot rest, the object of the clamp platesbeing to prevent any lateral movement of the foot. To still furtherretain the clamp plates in position, I form in each, an additional slott', for the reception of small screws 7c, 7c', which pass through theslots z', z', and into the foot rest, as seen in Fig. 5. The screws 7c,k', also serve to secure a thin plate Z, of metal placed over the clampplates in order to give a finished appearance to the skate, and keep thefoot from coming in contact with said plates, and to prevent thecollection of any dirt upon them. Y

It will be seen that by my arrangement of the clamp plates I am enabledto secure the foot of the wearer either to one side or the other of thefoot rest, and thus bring the runner either to the center of the foot,or to one side or the other thereof, as may be desirable.

I form the underside of the runner B, with a small groove or iute m,formed on the inside edge of the same, and with a wide fiat or convexbearing surface n, as seen in Figs. 5, and 8, of the drawings, whichrepresent, with the other figures, a skate intended for the right footof a person.

It will be seen that while one foot of the skater is gliding forward onthe ice and resting o-n the surface n, of the runner, that very littleresistance will be made, by the said runner, to the forward movement ofthe skater, while at the same time, the runner of the opposite skate,being turned on its grooved edge in the side sweep given by a skater topropel himself forward, will cut into the ice and take a very stronghold of the same, and at the same time prevent any lateral slipping ofthe skate.

I do not claim the use of metal straps to extend under the foot rest ofthe skate, and made to pass over the foot for the purpose of keeping itdown upon the foot rest without the use of other straps as in the caseof Coe & Sni'lfens Patent No. 23,826, as my invention remedies the veryobjections to which that is liable, one of which is, that the metalstrap after a little use, becomes very painful to the wearer, on accountof its hard unyielding nature.

I claim as my inventionl. The two clamp plates made to iit within arecess in the upper part of the foot rest (and to clasp the sole of theboot alone), in connection with a leather strap and buckle to pass overthe foot and confine it down upon the foot rest, the protecting plate Z,and the sustaining screws lo, la', the particular object of the clampplates in my invention being to bring the foot of Jthe wearer either toone side or the other of the center of the iron runner, 'and to preventany lateral slipping of the foot on the foot rest in manner and for thepurpose as above described.

2. The peculiar construction of the underside of the runnerl B, with itsnarrow groove m, on its inner edge, and' its wide, flat or convexbearing surface n, essentially in manner and being made to operate asabove described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my signature this eighth dayof March A. D.

E. CURTIS JENKINS, JR. Witnesses:

FRED. CURTIS, B. WELLS DUNKLEE.

